Cipriani casts off on voyage to recovery and pencils in his comeback for late November

Danny Cipriani will be able to walk again today and take the first steps on the long road to recovering from the shattering end to his season.

Six weeks after breaking and dislocating his left ankle during Wasps' Premiership semi-final against Bath, England's 20-year-old fly half is to have the plaster cast removed from his leg on Monday this morning.

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Aiming high: Danny Cipriani is hoping to be back in action by November after suffering a badly broken ankle

'I just can't wait to be walking again,' he said. 'I'm not setting myself an exact date but late November would be a good comeback time for me.'

His absence from the Test reckoning until the start of the Six Nations in the New Year leaves new manager Martin Johnson no option but to omit him from his 32-man squad to be named tomorrow for the autumn home series against the Pacific Islands, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Wales have rebuked Cardiff wing Tom James for describing his late appearance as a substitute against South Africa in Pretoria as 'pointless'.

Head coach Warren Gatland said: 'He may have been disappointed he didn't get more of an opportunity but it's a shame he didn't express those views to the coaches. If you have something to say, that's the place to say it.'

The man who caused a stir during the last World Cup by voicing his 'hatred' of England has fired another broadside at the old enemy.

Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill took aim after the Wallabies' unconvincing 34-13 win over a depleted France before a Sydney crowd of barely 50,000.

'I was interested to read that 38 per cent of players in the English Premier football League last season were English,' he said.

'Then you see what's happening in English rugby, and French rugby, where they are throwing money at foreign players. They need to rethink the long-term benefits of that strategy in terms of what it does to the national team.'

At the end of a bad month for England, a result from South America offers a little good news.

Italy's 13-12 win over Argentina in Cordoba, achieved thanks to a last-minute try from substitute hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini and winning conversion from Andrea Marcato, will push the Pumas down to fourth below the Wallabies in the official world rankings to be announced today.

England stay fifth with the gap narrowing if they are to reach the top four by the end of November and so avoid South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in the draw for the 2011 World Cup.